Water is the enemy when it comes to nutrient losses during cooking. That's why steaming is one of the best methods to preserve easily damaged nutrients, such as vitamin C and many B vitamins. Since vegetables don't come in contact with cooking water during steaming, more vitamins are retained.

Does steaming vegetables remove nutrients?

Steaming. Steaming is one of the best cooking methods for preserving nutrients, including water-soluble vitamins, which are sensitive to heat and water ( 4 , 5, 6, 17 ). Researchers have found that steaming broccoli, spinach, and lettuce reduces their vitamin C content by only 9–15% (5).

Is steaming the healthiest way to cook vegetables?

Across the board, steaming retains the most nutrients. That's because all veggies contain folate and vitamin C—which don't like heat—so they “tend to keep most nutrients when cooked quickly and not in water,” Pine says.